Tools & Tips for Mission-based Organizations

July 2011

07/29/2011

A colleague and I were chatting today about the ever-present issue of finding enough volunteers to support your cause. We seem to focus all our attention on the individual we hope to recruit instead of taking a look at how we can use networks and larger partnerships to accomplish the same this, perhaps with less effort. After a while we get burned out trying the same old tactics over and over again. Even if their are working, they feel tired and boring. I think I have a fresh idea that might add some spice to your life, and might even increase the number of well-matched volunteer candidates that come your way and stick.

A few weeks ago I was listening to a Duct Tape Marketing podcast interview with Ivan Misner, the founder of the wildly successful business networking company BNI. If you’re skeptical about the power of business-to-business networks, consider this -- In the last five years local BNI chapters referred over $11 billion in business to each other. That’s a lot of business, especially in a recession!!

So I started thinking, how could nonprofits use his model to find and refer volunteers? Misner’s model of networking is no coffee klatch. Nor is it obnoxious, hard-core sales. It’s actually a pretty smart relationship marketing strategy that could be put to use by a small group of savvy volunteer coordinators, either by starting up a network from scratch or renovating one you already belong to that isn’t getting results.

How Successful Businesses Network

BNI networks consist of local chapters, made of small businesses. Only one business per specific category can belong to the local chapter (i.e., one doctor, one lawyer, one CPA, etc.). The network meets each week and follows a very strict agenda, part of which involves each person in the room introducing themselves and giving a short pitch about their business. They do this each and every time, regardless of how well they know each other. They also make a pact to refer customers and patronize the chapter’s businesses.

A New Version, Tweaked for Nonprofits

What if a set number of local nonprofit organizations got together to do the same thing? Membership would be limited and would represent organizations with a wide array of volunteer opportunities. Instead of referring business, they would refer volunteers they had met during their screening process and found they were not the right fit, did not have the time to commit, or who simply weren’t interested in what the nonprofit had to offer.

Permission-based Volunteer Referrals

All nonprofits in the network would agree that they would not only recruit volunteers but also commit to each and every potential volunteer that if the nonprofit was not the right fit, they would make every attempt to find another opportunity that might work. And, they would market this promise in each and every volunteer recruitment announcement, presentation, etc. The promise would become part of their brand, and the referrals would be made to other organizations within the network.

The Guarantee

At this point you may be saying to yourself, “What?! If we do this we will lose volunteers!” I disagree. What if you told prospective volunteers that you were so convinced that your organization was a fantastic place to volunteer (and it was!) that you would guarantee the volunteer’s satisfaction? And, if they were unsatisfied for any reason, you’d do everything in your power to help them find another place to be happy. What do you think that would do to build the trust between you and the volunteer applicant? If your team got behind the philosophy of 100% satisfaction, what do you think it would do for your program?

Think I’m crazy? Consider Zappos, the innovative shoe company with a flair for good ideas. After they train their staff, they actually offer to pay them to leave! How’s that for a retention strategy!? Yes, at the end of their first week of orientation they make each and every employee, no mater their position, The Offer: "If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you've worked, plus we will offer you a $2,000 bonus." Then, they give them a few weeks to think about it. Zappos understands that their business will only thrive if they have the most committed employees. And, in the end, they do. To date, no one has ever taken them up on the offer.

The Volunteer Referral Network in Action

The referral network would meet regularly to introduce themselves and share the contact info of volunteers who are looking for a placement (again with the volunteers’ permission). A referral profile form of some kind might be helpful, but it would be important not to create a whole bureaucracy around it. Nobody needs more paperwork than they already have! In a sense, the network would act as a very involved, high touch, and informed volunteer matching service.

To motivate and recognize the work of individuals within the network, and to continue to build trust within the group, they would also take time to share. They would talk about how the referrals went and troubleshoot anything that didn’t go as smoothly as it could. Meetings might also be a place to share ideas and welcome speakers with something fresh to add. Meetings could rotate with each partner organization taking a turn at hosting. Through site visits to their colleagues home offices, members could get to know the working environment and be able to describe it to volunteers they might refer.

Of course, some ground rules would need to be established. What specific volunteer information would remain confidential and what would be shared? Would a release need to be signed? How would people with criminal backgrounds be handled? And others I’ve neglected to mention.

It’s Worth a Try

What if your network became a high-profile volunteer magnet in the community? What if you used a “no wrong door” approach with your potential supporters? What if helping volunteers find the absolute best fit for their passions became job one? Imagine the postive word of mouth you'd create! And, you'd no longer toil away in isolation! Instead, you'd be working with a far-reaching and powerful team that’s got your back. It may sound idealistic, but if it works in the business world where companies closely guard their customers and trade secrete, why can’t it work in the nonprofit world where we’re all about peace, love, and understanding?

07/28/2011

I'm working on my eBook "the Volunteer Manager: The First 90 Days" (I'd like to come up with a more catchy title; if you have one, let me know). And, because people struggle so much with time management, I’ve decided to include some tactics that have worked for me. Here’s a sneak peek.

1) Assemble Your Marketing Raw Materials In One Place -- Post your logos, boilerplate text, approved photos, new release templates, brochures, PSAs, etc. online in a place your team can easily get to. Also, create a communications style guide that includes graphic and text rules your program lives by (there are lots of samples on the internet) or check out my tips here. This will help your team to be self sufficient, versus coming to you all the time for these resources.

2) Group Similar Tasks -- You waste precious brain time switching from report writing to reading email to filing paperwork to making phone calls. The experts say as much as 25%! If you complete like tasks as a group, you won’t lose the time you spend switching your attention.

3) Minimize Interruptions -- One way to do this is to block out “me time” on your calendar, and guard it with your life!! Make your calendar public, so your team can see where you are. Another way is to close your office door (if you have one). Let folks know that when the door is closed (or the do not disturb sign is up in front of your cube), you should not be interrupted unless there is an emergency. You may have to define what “emergency” means, but if you stick to your plan, people will slowly but surely accept the new reality.

4) Agree to Team Email Norms -- Do it as a team, and be sure everyone agrees. If they don’t, you be the tie breaker. In particular, set up guidelines for who needs to be cc-d on specific types of emails. Your goal is to eliminate extraneous email and un-clutter your inbox.

5) Configure Your Email Software -- Make it work for you. If possible, have it sort and file incoming email, use your out-of-office assistant when you’re out of the office for a day or longer, and set up a priority in-box if your system has one.

6) Think Through Big Decisions -- Use mind mapping and specific problem solving steps to determine the root cause of an issue before developing a solution. Teams waste a TON of time rushing to the solution without some deeper consideration; then later, they’re back to the drawing board when it doesn’t work.

7) Plan Annually -- Don’t plan by the seat of your pants. Put together an annual calendar that includes grant and reporting deadlines, special events, holidays, volunteer recruitment campaigns, volunteer training dates, conferences, retreats, etc. Then, develop specific, but simple, work plans for each project you have on the calendar. This will help you delegate more effectively, and will help your team be better prepared.

8) Schedule Regular Bi-Weekly Volunteer Orientations -- If you have a volunteer program, standardize some of your regular tasks (you can do this with client service activities as well). Include your orientations in your annual calendar (the fist and third Wednesday of the month, for example) and assign volunteers to conduct them. Invite anyone who is interested in volunteering to come down and learn more about your program. Make sure you have scheduled both day and evening orientations to be convenient to volunteer applicants with different schedules (you could also do a pre-recorded online version they can view from home).

9) Use Standardized Training Materials -- And ask your team to use them! It wastes a tremendous amount of time of everyone decides they are going to create their own, unique volunteer orientation, for example. If there is no set curriculum, you'll find yourself scrambling around at the last minute looking for slides, handouts, etc. It’s just not necessary, and it’s a big time suck.

10) Set a Social Media and Internet Timer -- Every work day, decide on a specific number of minutes you will spend looking at social media (work related, I mean!) and surfing the internet (for research purposes!). Then, set your timer. When it dings, you’re done!

11) Host Staff Meetings Standing Up -- Huddle with your team versus sitting around the big table in the conference room. It will minimize meeting pontification, guaranteed! People will get to the point, and you can move on to the (usually) more exciting tasks of the day.

Do you have any other tips that have helped you make the most of your day? Don't keep us in the dark! Please share. If they're good, I'll inlcude them in the book!

07/25/2011

The primary responsibility of any manager is to develop influential partners and cultivate relationships that will help your people work better and be more productive.

In the rush to check items off an overwhelming TO DO list, however, nonprofit managers often resort to owning each and every task that comes their way, citing that “it’s just easier and faster to do it myself.” That may be true in the short term, but it’s not a sustainable solution. The more you take on, the more work will come your way, and the less support you’ll get from others. It’s a vicious cycle.

One way managers can release the pressure is by shifting their focus -- from being the center of all information and action to helping teams connect with a number of other “go to” people. Instead of solving problems for people quickly, savvy managers help their team (both paid and volunteer) develop the capacity to solve them on their own or through a network of resources.

In order to develop these networks, these leaders look for ways to capitalize on what others are already doing, or for whom the task would be easy to accomplish. Distributing the workload throughout a broad network can reduce the pressure on one individual, but also has a higher purpose. It builds relationships that can bring value to the team in ways never imagined. Here’s how to get started.

Build Your Internal Allies

Nonprofit managers often search outside for community partners that can help. This is important to be sure, but it’s also a missed opportunity if they neglect the value of the tremendous expertise that’s right there at home. (Note: Clearly, if you are a small organization you may not have these resources internally. If not, look to find volunteers and organizations that provide similar types of services outside your agency.)

Aside from your current staff and volunteers, people in your own organization can provide advice, support, technical assistance, and free word-of-mouth advertising money just can’t buy. On the flip side, if you have a rocky or nonexistent relationship with other work units, they can do damage by incorrectly framing who you are and what you do to others thus tarnishing your reputation and credibility.

So, who should you approach? For the sake of illustration, below is a list of allies that would be helpful internal partners for a volunteer program (in parenthesis are ways they can help). You can build off of this to support other kinds of program activity, regardless of whether you have volunteers.

Once, you’ve identified who you want to contact and how they can help you, set up your meetings. When setting meetings with executive leadership, make sure you've used the appropriate chain of command. If your boss wants to tag along, invite them.

Start by asking questions and listening. Be sure to not only present your needs, but also listen for how you can help them directly or at least make their life easier. Here’s a suggested agenda.

History and operations of their department or program

Their current priorities

What they need from you (support, compliance with processes, preferred communication styles, resolution of an existing conflict, etc.)

Description and priorities for your program

Ideas on how they can help

Give them a simple, one-page handout that describes your program and what you’ve accomplished so far. This will undoubtedly provide information they didn’t have before and will ensure they have positive talking points about you going forward.

And, don't be shy. Helping you may be just the inspirational outlet your colleague needs, either as a brief respite from more boring tasks or an opporutnity to make a difference in a way that's new and refreshing. Even if they can't help our currently, they'll be flattered by your ask and will be more likely to agree next time around.

Solidify the Relationship

Unfortunately, one meeting does not a partnership make. So, it’s critical to continue to tend the garden. Be sure to follow up your meeting with a handwritten thank you note (not an email) and some brief specifics about the mutual benefits of working together.

As you move forward, continue to communicate about any program successes you have encountered, especially those that were due to their help. Check in from time to time to see if, in their mind, you have followed through on all of the commitments you’ve made to them. If you come across bumps in the road, try to resolve things quickly before they have a chance to fester.

Internal partnerships can be as even more powerful that those you develop on the outside. Your internal allies have a vested and ongoing interest in your organization’s success, so they are more likely to stick with it. And, if you experience success, your leadership story will spread quickly throughout the organization, thus inspiring others to collaborate and making you both look great.

07/20/2011

Anyone who’s procrastinated knows that just because there’s a flurry of activity doesn’t mean the critical work is getting done. How many times have we sidetracked ourselves from a productive result with fairly mundane tasks that don’t really contribute to our personal bottom line?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve faced an impending deadline and opted for something less stressful -- cleaning up my computer desktop, filing paperwork, trolling the internet for interesting business content, clearing out my email inbox, etc. You could argue that these are all important to my role as a nonprofit coach and consultant. They keep my business running smoothly and expand my awareness of cutting-edge ideas. At the end of the day, I can say to myself, “Wow! I’ve read five really interesting articles that will help my clients succeed,” or “Fantastic! My Inbox now has zero unread emails.” But are these tasks directly advancing my mission? What happened to my looming project deadline?

Obviously, I don’t let procrastination get the best of me. Otherwise, I’d be out of business pretty darn quick! But, I think this does illustrate how easy it is to be seduced by the illusion of activity and how unfocused we can become.

Does Your Organization Make an Impact?

Part of the reason we become unfocused as an organization is because we are not clear about how our day-to-day activities connect with our overall mission. We simply haven’t connected the dots for ourselves or our teams in a meaningful way. When was the last time you developed a strategic plan that focuses, with laser-like precision, on delivering your mission? Are your staff and volunteer job descriptions and team project plans aligned with the activities outlined in that plan? Do your policies and procedures support a streamlined implementation of that plan? And, are all resource and funding decisions prioritized based on that plan?

A Case Study

In addition, we make broad assumptions about how effective certain activities are in furthering our goals. Consider, for example, the education activities of a fictitious organization that promotes healthy nutrition for kids. Last year, the organization made presentations at 145 PTA meetings in their region last year and reached over 670 people. This year they doubled that activity. Their presentation materials were stellar, the volunteer presenters were well trained, and they received enthusiastic feedback from their audiences. They might conclude, “Super! We’ve reached a significant number of people, our community support is growing, and now kids will choose healthy foods to eat!”

Mission accomplished? Maybe, maybe not. Did kids actually improve the way they eat? Did it happen as a result of these presentations? How would you know?

My point isn’t that we should disregard the yields of our activities (commonly called our outputs), but that we need to dig deeper and test our assumptions about what they actually achieve (our outcomes) and the ultimate change they make in our communities (our impact). This isn’t a new concept, by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s striking how many organizations continue to focus on outputs and assume the outcomes are occurring naturally. We are all super busy completing our assignments, but are we really getting the job done?

Switching from Outputs to Outcomes

You probably don’t have a lot of money to hire a research firm to study what happens to the people you help and its ultimate impact on the community. In addition, you may already have performance measures that you are required to track by your funder, your board, or simply because that’s your legacy.

Even if this is the case, you can still choose to improve your outcomes measurement. Consider again, the organization that promotes healthy child nutrition. Which of the following statements demonstrate that the organization had an impact?

Last year, our team made 325 presentations, educating over 1,350 parents about child nutrition.

Of the 1,350 people who attended our Healthy Kids talks last year, 90% felt that the information will help them plan healthier meals for their kids.

90% of the parents who attend our Healthy Kids talks report that their kids eat healthier meals as a result.

The first statement merely reports on the tasks that were done. It might be helpful in understanding the inventory of materials you need, the staffing levels to plan for, and if your event marketing is working, but it doesn't really demonstrate a mission result.

The second statement helps us understand the audience's perceived value of the material presented and indicates their willingness to follow a specific course of action. It does not, however, track whether or not they actually acted on the advice given.

The third statement presents the end result versus the activity needed to make it happen or the audience satisfaction. It’s clear, powerful, and compelling. It’s mission-focused, and it’s something people can get around. Take a look at the activities you currently track. Are they directly connected to mission success? Or do they represent a flurry of activity that may or may not be moving you forward?

And, perhaps even more important to ask in the current climate of budget debates, do the outcomes you track demonstrate a solid return on investment for those who fund it and support it?

To be fair, it is more of a challenge to collect the data that will support the final statement, and you can’t make things up. So, it means you’ll have to not only decide which outcomes to track but also must build in systems to gather information from the people you touch after the fact. Not super easy, but not impossible either. Here are some resources that can help.

How to Do It: Three Good Resources

The Urban Institute’sOutcome Indicators Project provides a framework and some specific outcome measures for fourteen program areas -- such as employment training, health risk reduction, and advocacy -- as well as some generic performance indicators any program can use. It’s a great place to start.

This isn't easy work, so it's often neglected. We gravitate toward less stressful tasks that help us feel better about our work. Like procrastination, it's usually easier in the short run, but make things much harder over the long haul.

07/18/2011

My Aunt Deanna recently expressed her frustration in an email to me. She was disappointed that many of her fellow volunteers didn’t show up for a weekend volunteer project. She asked for my thoughts, which I'm also sharing with you.

1) Make Sure They're Committed in the First Place. -- Sometimes people agree because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. To screen for this, don’t shortcut the volunteer orientation and onboarding process. I can’t tell you how many volunteers I've seen sent to training without having completed the screening process. In the end the rush just doesn't pay off; most don’t make it past training and never begin service. It’s not only bad for you, it’s bad for them. They've wasted their time when they could have been already making a difference at an organization that's a better fit.

Volunteers aren’t cattle to be herded from here to there or cogs in a machine. They have emotions that need to be engaged and inspired. Make sure you take the time to see whether the spark has been ignited before you set them up with an assignment.

2) Make Liberal Use of Social Proof. -- Use technology to highlight that other people are participating. Like it or not, we like to follow the crowd. It’s a basic human trait, so work with it. Use tools like Evite to not only track who’s coming but to invite participants to share why they’re excited about the project, convey what they hope to accomplish, give high fives to their teammates, etc. If you mix logistical info with aspirations, it’ll add buzz to the event.

3) Show Evidence of Future Impact -- Are you involved in direct service or the completion of something concrete? If so, interview someone for whom this product or service will make a significant difference -- share it with the volunteer team a few days before the event. For example, if you are improving a home, have the homeowner talk about why having a roof over their head will give them peace of mind. If you are hosting a walkathon, have people who will benefit from the funds raised talk about how this organization’s work will change their life.

You can share these testimonials in print, but it’s even better on video. It’s important that they are conveyed by people who will benefit, versus paid staff. People are volunteering for the cause not the organization, so keep it focused on the greater good.

4) Raffle Something Off -- People like to win things, and people are attracted to scarcity. So, add a little spice to participation by offering the chance to win something, either through a raffle or friendly competition. Do this instead of giving everyone a gift. First of all, people don’t want the organization to waste their money; and second, if everyone wins there’s no palpable excitement -- unless you're giving away “super swag” a-la-Oprah!!

5) Provide Food -- Yes, this is an old tactic; but, it still works. We like to be fed! Pump up your social proof, though, by getting specific community or business partners to sponsor some tasty treats for your team. This shows volunteers that they have broad community support for what they are trying to accomplish.

6) Tickle Them -- Not literally!! But send out an email invitation that includes the ability to add the event to their online calendar software. If possible, make sure that your event file has a calendar tickler, or reminder alert, already included. If you aren’t that sophisticated, set up volunteer sub-teams and have the team leaders make old-fashioned reminder calls the day before the event.

7) Involve Volunteers in the Planning -- This is arguably the most effective, but also the most time consuming. People are more committed to something when they have a role in the decision-making process. Planning by committee may take longer, but you’ll reap the rewards of higher participation levels with one caveat -- the committee must be clear on its goals and well led.

Inspiring people to actively participate takes time and effort, but consider the alternatives. Does it really make sense to spin your wheels planning an even if you're not going to have the turnout you need to get the job done?

What other tricks do you use to ensure high levels of participation? Please share!

He argues that creating enchantment is the key to success in business. I think that also applies volunteer engagement. See if you agree.

Are Your Volunteers Enchanted With Their Experience?

Kawasaki poses three keys to enchantment. Here are my thoughts on how they relate to the volunteer environment. What do you think? Would these make your organization irresistible?

1) Likable -- Is your environment friendly and open? Are people generous with their smiles? Does everyone your organization greet volunteers every time they see them? Do people show they care about each other or just show up for work?

2) Trustworthy -- Can you be trusted? Do you follow through on every commitment made? Are your decisions transparent? Do you give accurate information, consistently? Do you always give the benefit of the doubt? Is “yes” your default answer to most requests? Are you focused on giving versus receiving?

3) A Great Product -- Kawasaki used the acronym DICEE to describe a fantastic product. Do these describe your volunteer program?

Deep (lots of functionality, lots of features) -- Are there a number of roles for volunteers to choose from? Is there flexibility in where, when, and how they can contribute their time? Are there lots of resources and training to support their work?

Intelligent (they understand me, anticipate my need) -- Do you know what drives your volunteers’ individual satisfaction with their experience? Do you persistently gather feedback on how you can improve? Do you change your processes to better respond to volunteer needs, or do you do things because you’ve always done them that way?

Complete (moves beyond just product sales to post-purchase support) -- Do you provide solid attention and support through all stages of the volunteer life cycle, from outreach and recruitment, to training and placement, to retention and recognition, to saying goodbye?

Elegant (a great user interface) -- Are your materials, forms, and tools well designed and user friendly? Are your publications and training materials crisp and clean? Is the volunteer work environment, either on-line or on-land, uncluttered? Are your technology tools easy to navigate?

Empowering (results in peace of mind, brings joy) -- Are people encouraged to have fun? Do you celebrate successes, both small and large? Are volunteers able to fulfill their personal life purpose through their work with your organization? I would argue that this the most important of all.

Want to learn more about enchantment? Check out Guy’s talks and find out where to buy his book here.

07/14/2011

Recently, I sat in on an interesting webinar through the Harvard Business Review. In the presentation, Are you a Collaborative Leader?, Herminia Ibarra and Morten Hansen discussed four key aspects of leadership within innovative companies who have experienced phenomenal growth. They argue that collaborative leadership is critical to their success. Businesses must pull resources and talents from a variety of sources and take advantage of the connectivity across communities to impact their bottom lines.

Sound familiar? It should. Many nonprofits already understand the need for working with external resources to get the job done. We look to connect to volunteers, community partners, donors, and in-kind contributors to help us fulfill our missions. And, yet we still struggle. We either experience barriers to connecting with who we need to, or we experience resistance to making the necessary changes that move us ahead.

This may be due, in part, to our leadership styles. Most people tend to either lean toward a command and control model, with strong direction from the top, or strive for complete consensus, getting mired in endless discussion with no result. According to Ibarra and Hansen, a more balanced approach works better. So, what do successful leaders do, and how can we tap into that mojo? Ibarra and Hansen point to four leadership cornerstones they feel contribute to the phenomenal success of the companies they studied.

The Four Keys to Leadership Success

1) Become a Global Connector -- Look for innovative alliances and strategic connections outside your normal sphere of influence. As leaders, we tend to spend the majority of our time focused on managing our internal world. The most successful resources and ideas are often found in unlikely places. To unearth new solutions, have conversations in entirely new environments. That way, you can better understand current global trends and what meaning they may have for the future our your program. Find innovative ways to link people, resources, and ideas that will help your organization move forward. This may be by attending conferences outside your specialty or visiting new communities you’ve never been.

2) Engage Talent from the Periphery -- Studies show that diverse teams bring better results. And yet we often talk to people who look just like us. Take a look at your teams, paid or volunteer. Are they a mirror image of you? Although homogenous teams may work more fluidly together, their collective experience is extremely limited. Blind spots abound. Beyond simply a moral call for affirmative action, ethnic, cultural, and generational diversity ensures that more ideas are brought to the table. Look for ways to bring diverse points of view to the party. Ask young people to mentor the older generations. Make sure people from a variety of nationalities have a seat. Finally, take steps to ensure there is a process in place to identify and communicate cultural misunderstandings. Miscommunication will inevitably occur; make sure it is resolved quickly and does not become a barrier to success.

3) Collaborate from the Top First -- This means leading by example. If your management team is embroiled in turf battles and power struggles, do you expect the greater community to follow you? Set your management team on a course that encourages healthy interdependency. Make sure your collaborative projects and operational plans are aligned. Develop incentives that reward collaboration versus individualism. Focus performance reviews on both individual and team outcomes. Communicate that learning goals will trump short-term performance goals. This doesn’t mean letting go of accountability; it means focusing that responsibility on collaboration. Finally, be as transparent as possible about your efforts to change and their results, both good and bad.

4) Show a Strong Hand -- Not to be confused with a top-down approach, being a strong leader in this sense means being agile enough to initiate and disband collaborative teams, versus having a rigid structure. Teams must be provided clear direction on decision rights and responsibilities within their group. To ensure that decisions are not delayed because consensus can’t be reached, put a process in place that describes when a final decision will be called and by whom. And, clearly outline that it is everyone’s responsibility to get behind and support decisions, once they are made.

Collaborative leadership means engaging the team members and communities in the organization’s decision-making process. Beyond brainstorm sessions and opinion surveys, collaborative leadership welcomes a diverse range of people and makes room for them at the table. Paradoxically, a successful collaborative style also requires strong leadership in setting the tone, the structure, and the expectations for your team.

It’s not easy, but the outlay of initial effort may prove as worthwhile to you as it was to the business leaders Ibarra and Hansen studied. Collaborative strategies are rapidly replacing command and control models in innovative and successful companies. It may be time to sharpen our partnership skills so that we, too, can take our organizations to the next level.

What do you think? What's your leadership style, and how does it help or hinder you? Share your comments!

07/11/2011

Volunteer management is a tough job, especially when you’re just starting out. For many, the title “Volunteer Coordinator” has been added to a growing list of job responsibilities that can feel overwhelming to say the least. Most people don’t get the depth of training they need, at least at first. And many learn on the job, as they go. That’s why I’m writing a free eBook tentatively called “The New Volunteer Manager: The First 90 Days.”

It’s an exciting time to join the field of volunteer management. We want to encourage as many talented people as possible to join us. And, we want to help them get started off on the right foot.

My hope is that this eBook will contain a good mix of what works -- both the absolutely new and the tried and true. And I need your good advice.

Help me out by answering this one question, either by clicking on the comment link at he bottom of this post or by posting your answer here.

What's one piece of advice you'd give someone who has just started managing volunteers?

Everyone who shares their comments will be entered to win a free copy of The Nonprofit Marketing Guide and will be the first to get a free copy of the eBook. Woo-hoo!

NOTE: You don't have to coordinate volunteers or subscribe to this blog to weigh in. All are welcome, so please pass this on!

If you’re a women’s soccer fan, you probably spent last Sunday glued to the TV, awestruck as the US Women’s Team pulled out a dramatic, last-minute victory over the Brazilians in a Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match (read more about it here and watch the game here). The win was, of course, fantastic, but what was equally as fascinating was the US team’s attitude. It was truly inspiring, and something we can all learn from.

Initially, it was a painful and grueling game to watch. A quick own goal by the Brazilians left the US women a point ahead within the first few minutes of the game. After some controversial calls by the referee, including a red card that eliminated a key defensive player from the field, the US played much of the game with one less player than their opponent. To add insult to injury, due to a second controversial call, a penalty kick was retaken and a goal then scored by Brazil, which tied the game. Later the Brazilians scored again, nearly dashing the US hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.

At this point, there was plenty to complain about. The officiating stunk. So much so, it appeared to have given Brazil an unfair advantage. In addition, the Brazilians began to rub it in, taking falls and feigning injuries to run the clock out and win the game.

So, the Americans were at a crossroads -- either allow their frustrations get the best of them or keep fighting to the bitter end, with no real assurance of success. How often have we, as nonprofit leaders, been faced with the same choice? And, what path did we take?

How often have we let our discipline lapse and our conversations devolve into gripe sessions about our work? How often have we given up on tough projects because success was not guaranteed and we were just too tired of trying? How often have we allowed our attention to be diverted away from our core purpose by inconsequential details or interpersonal drama?

For me, I’m ashamed to say, it’s been too many times to count. Times are tough. Many of our frustrations are completely understandable and completely justified. Does it really matter that we sometimes choose to let off steam in order to feel better? Does it really affect our ability to get the job done? I believe it does. It’s time to change our attitudes in order to change our outcomes. There’s simply too much at stake not to.

I’ve talked to leaders who are struggling with enormous amounts of negativity within their teams. They’ve shared their pain and frustration about being unable to move their organization forward. Much like the US Women’s Team, they find themselves in an untenable situation, between the proverbial rock and a hard place. And, in the end, it’s the public who suffers.

So, how do we move ahead? How did the US Women covert an almost assured loss to a surprising win? Their post-game interviews were a telling portrait of the team’s attitude, which highlighted three main philosophies that were echoed over and over again. They offer one possible roadmap to change.

Three Keys to Success

1) Unflagging Effort -- The team never gave up, even in the face of undeniable odds. They were playing a highly ranked rival, with inconsistent officiating, and without a key player. It would have been easy to give in. But they continued to strive all the way until the bitter end of overtime play. In the 122nd minute, Abby Wambach scored a spectacular header from a long cross tying the game and forcing a penalty kick shoot out (if you haven’t seen it, watch it here).

2) Unrelenting Optimism -- Up until the last minute, they believed without a doubt they were going to win. US goalkeeper, Hope Solo, remarked that she knew in her gut should would block the penalty kick that ultimately resulted in the US win. She realized that she had more confidence than the Brazilian player she faced, and that would make the difference. She, as well as others described this unwavering faith they would prevail. Not one bit of doubt was allowed to creep into their thoughts or vision of the future.

3) Purposeful Focus -- Refusing to be distracted by negativity and any perceived unfairness of the referee’s calls and the behavior of their opponents, the team has stayed true to their ultimate objective -- to win the tournament. Despite probing questions from the media about what went wrong and who was to blame, the US team and coach refused to stoke the fire, preferring to speak about the positive aspects of the match and their strategy going forward. Their actions during the game were the same, where they demonstrated resolve and determination devoid of any criticism of their peers.

The US team’s win is no doubt partly attributable to their skills, intense training, and resources. But, no less due to the leadership of their coach and team captain and the attitude of the team as a whole.

Imagine if all nonprofit work teams followed this approach? What if we refused to give in to pessimism and disparaging remarks about our peers, co-workers, or partners?

What if we stayed the course no matter what, making small corrections along the way toward our concrete goals we set for ourselves? What if we believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we would find success at the end of the road, in spite of the significant challenges we faced?

How would it change the culture of our organization? How the public perceives us? The motivation of our volunteers? The support from our donors? How would it change our team morale?

I believe that attitude does matter, and it starts with each of us. As a part of a larger whole, each one of us has a responsibility to the overall effort. We are all leaders in some way. We can choose what we think and believe about our program and what actions we take, positive or negative. We need to find ways to remove the stress without damaging our colleagues or program. We need to be disciplined and focused on the community good. It’s important, because if we don’t do it no one will.